harvest 2006

Continuing the cleaning . . . As I mentioned previously, to this point, I've listed in the sidebar all the books I've read since my blog's inception, though now I'm going through to consolidate it and reflect on what I've read.

The problem we run into with 2006 is, well, I wasn't very good about writing about the books I'd read. Not good at all. But I read a lot, at least. Okay. So I only read 36 books, which only averages out to 3 per month. But a lot happened that year.

1. Totally Joe

   This book seems to be the most popular draw to my blog. Okay. Maybe it's not the book so much as it is the alphabiography. But this was the book that started all that . . . Rereading the post, I'm amused that we apparently got into a discussion of the gayness of folding one's legs. Hmm. At least that's a less controversial subject than, say, circumcision.

   
   
2. Marly's Ghost

   I love rereading the comments; it reminds me of the days when I and others actually had time to carry on lengthy and extensive commentversations. *le sigh*

   
   
3. 13

   I just reread "Jeremy Goldblatt Is So Not Moses." Still love it. Story collections are good for things like that.

   
   
4. Guys Write for Guys Read

   And some story collections aren't good for things like that.

   
   
5. Grand & Humble

   Thinking on things, I think this may be my favorite Hartinger title. In terms of storytelling, this is his novel where I think he's strongest.

   
   
6. Inexcusable

   Believe it or not, I actually get google hits for this novel. I wonder if I should be concerned that they're never searches for the title of the book but generally something along the lines of "date rape novel." I would still rather people read Speak instead of this novel.

   
   
7. Looking for Alaska
   
8. The Last Chance Texaco
   
9. Criss Cross

   Still hating this book. Stupid Newbery committee. Even if some people seem to have found some merit in it.

   
   
10. Playing the Field

    As promised by the author in the comments (I love when authors send me e-mails and comments), Busted was released this summer; it's sitting on my shelf of books to read. I recently finished it.

    
    
11. I Am the Messenger
    
12. Me Talk Pretty One Day

    I love how comments veer away from the book being reviewed. Today, as I review these posts, that just brings me so much joy. The comments on this post largely focus on boxed European milk. Oh! how I chuckle at the memory. Like FoxyJ, I must confess to actually having liked the taste of the milk. Weird, I know.

    
    
13. Burned

    Still a bad book. But the comments about the propriety of spoiling Harry Potter plotting is entertaining.

    
    
14. Gossamer

    And still loving this book. Maybe if I ever make time to reread a book, I'll reread this one.

    
    
15. Between Mom and Jo

    This was the book that stalled the reviews. And with good reason. I finished this book about the same time that the legislature was debating HB138 which basically said that gay parents are scum of the earth and have no parental rights if the children aren't the actual spawn of their loins. Interestingly enough, that's essentially what this book is about. Jo is the Not the Birth Mama. But Jo is the one who the boy actually identifies with as a mom. Anyway, when the Birth Mama has an affair and decides to divorce Jo, she tries to completely separate the protag from her. And all this when Not the Birth Mama stayed by the Birth Mama's side as she battled breast cancer. By and large, I actually enjoyed the book. I just couldn't bring myself to blog about it because of the Utah political drama going on at the time. And then I just didn't pick up the reviewing again because it's one of those Must Do in Order obsessive compulsion things I have.

    
    
16. Born to Rock

    Normally I'm an avid Korman fan. This book is okay. Better than Jake, Reinvented but not as good as Son of the Mob.

    
    
17. Fly on the Wall

    Lockhart is one of those authors who I don't particularly like (much like Stephenie Meyer but without the utter loathing of the destruction she is single-handedly foisting on the YA market) but still have this odd obsession with reading. Go figure.

    
    
18. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

    There's no denying how much I love Levithan. This was his first collaboration with Cohn. It was okay. One of the things I will say for both these authors, though, is that I like how they include gay characters without going Look! There Are Gays!

    
    
19. The Lightning Thief
    
20. The Sea of Monsters

    I love the Percy Jackson Chronicles. I think it's a great idea and a stellar series to transfer one's Harry Potter obsession. I find the characters to be more likeable and believable. Plus you always have some prophecy from the Oracle that will be fulfilled but there's joy in figuring out how it's going to be fulfilled.

    
    
21. The Opal Deception

    And this is one book too many in the series. Which is unfortunate, seeing as how I actually enjoyed the series up to this point.

    
    
22. The Sledding Hill

    As I recall, I read this book because Fobby recommended it. But I didn't like it. I think it was because the author is absurdly self-referential. He even makes an appearance in the book. If only that meant the author were actually fictional . . .

    
    
23. The DaVinci Code

    I read The DaVinci Crap while on a road trip to Vegas for a conference. I think that my loving nickname for the book tells you what I really think of it. Just proves that nothing pushes books like a good controversy.

    
    
24. Fablehaven

    This book is supposed to be the next great fantasy. It's surprisingly adequate, considering that it's published by Deseret Book. Of course, it falls prey to gender stereotypes. Oh, and the conflict all stems from the stupidity of the male character, which makes it rather difficult to have any sympathy for him. It's not surprising to me that Dec has been reading this book to the kids for the last year and is only halfway through it.

    
    
25. Every Man for Himself

    I don't remember any of the stories from this book, but I remember that I picked up the book because I liked the diversity of authors represented in the book. For the most part, I think I liked this one because it actually was what Guys Write for Guys Read should have been.

    
    
26. The Beatrice Letters

    I read this book to prepare for The End. Mostly it's just a gimmick. I was left with a meh feeling.

    
    
27. River Secrets

    I think I've pointed out before how much I love Shannon Hale. I was pleased that she took Razo's point of view for this story; he just needed his own book.

    
    
28. Wide Awake

    Looking back, I'm realizing why I like the month of September: lots of good books by authors who I love to read. (This is also why I don't like December—I have nothing on my shelf that I'm dying to read, and so I'm left to read books that kinda sorta maybe interest me and thus will take me six weeks to read.) As has been more than duly noted, I'm a Levithan fan. I generally am not so keen on his more utopian fantasies (such as Boy Meets Boy) because I have difficulty accepting said universe. However. I really want to accept this one. This is by far his most political, especially considering that it takes place in the undefined near future when the country has elected it's first gay and Jewish president. Of course, the Christian fundies in the midwest are inventing ways to block it. So the main character and friends are off to protest at the governor's mansion. I like how Levithan didn't just Red/Blue it; he has Greens and Yellows as the moderate breakoffs from the parties as well. Overall, it was a good book.

    
    
29. An Abundance of Katherines

    I enjoy Green's writing. Personally, I think this book was better than Looking for Alaska. Of course, what's not to like about a protagonist who has devised a mathematical equation to explain his relationships with all nineteen of his former girlfriends (who also all happened to be named Katherine)?

    
    
30. Is He or Isn't He?

    Stupid book. Unlikable protagonists. Utterly predictable romantic resolution. Blech.

    
    
31. Peter and the Shadow Thieves

    Of the three books in the series (to date), this is the weakest. It's still an intriguing story with a rather scary villain.

    
    
32. The End

    I'm certain that I commented on this book somewhere because I remember Theric asking my thoughts on it. But now I can't find those comments. Mostly I felt it was an appropriate end to the series. I like some of the twists and turns that it threw at the reader.

    
    
33. The Boy Book

    Another Lockhart book. I know . . . two in one year. Oh well. This one was better than Fly at least.

    
    
34. The Pox Party

    It took for-freakin'-ever to read this book. Boring. To the extreme. Which is a shame since the plot premise is interesting. I doubt I'll pick up the following books.

    
    
35. Psyche in a Dress

    I wish I could remember this book; in the back of my mind I think I found it intriguing. I do remember suggesting it to Coworker, but I think that had more to do with her research into adaptations of Psyche.

    
    
36. After the Wreck, I Picked Myself up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away

    I always enjoy Joyce Carol Oates. I find her books intense, and I like that she tackles difficult issues. For some reason, my general impression of her work is that it's "real." Not that I'm willing to define what that is, mind you.

I'm trying to do better at staying on top of my reviews, because it's rather difficult to go back and remember something I read over a year ago. (And I say that as I'm behind, like, ten reviews . . .)

Gossamer

Gossamer
by Lois Lowry
MG fiction. 140 pp.
Houghton Mifflin. 2006.

I love Lois Lowry. I recommend her often. Gossamer is her latest release.

It's a simple book with a small plot inundated with profound meaning. This book is about dreams and where they come from. Littlest One is a young dream-giver assigned to work at a house with a lonely old woman and a dog. As a dream-giver, it is Littlest's job to touch objects to pull memories to then bestow upon humans (and pets) as dreams. Mentored by Thin Elderly, she perfects her gossamer touch and learns to bestow and create exquisite dreams. This is good, because the old woman has received word that she is to be a foster grandmother of a troubled boy, and Littlest must do everything she can to help protect this boy from the Sinisteeds who come to inflict nightmares on him.

Okay. So my summary sucks and does this really good book no justice. Lowry seamlessly slips from one character to the next. She has created characters so rich and vivid but with a minimal amount of detail. You will truly love Littlest One--her exuberance, her energy, her love.

Anyway, read this book. It is just really, really good.

Burned

Burned
by Ellen Hopkins
YA fiction. 531 pp.
McElderry. 2006.

Let me just preface this review by noting that this book makes Criss Cross look like it actually deserved the Newbery. I weep to think of the trees that were sacrificed for this "book."

the flapcopy:

It all started with a dream. Nothing exceptional, just a typical fantasy about a boy, the kind of dream that most teen girls experience. But Pattyn Von Stratten is not like most teen girls. Raised in a religious--yet abusive--family, a simple dream may not be exactly a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and damnation.

This dream is a first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell or a better life? For the first time Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers--about God, a woman's role, sex, love--mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it?

Now, I picked up this book for a couple reasons. First was that it's a novel in verse, and I generally enjoy novel in verse because the images are language use are phenomenal. I also picked it up because I was interested in seeing how this author approached the issues of love and what not with the religious element.

Well, the novel failed on pretty much every count. For starters, this is a Message Novel. Don't believe me, then turn to the Author's Note at the end where she tells us,

This book is fiction, but much in it is true--in particular, the stories about nuclear issues in Nevada. Those "downwinders" still alive--and their children--suffer health problems directly related to the aboveground nuclear testing that took place at the Nevada Test Site in the middle part of the twentieth century. People really were encouraged to have "blast parties," or otherwise to sit outside to watch the mushroom clouds.

So, if you take the author's note and the poems in the novel about this particular element, you have a grand total of TWO PAGES about the downwinders and the Nevada testing. I'm a bit perplexed as to how this will keep this information from "[dying] along with the remaining downwinders."

The second message of this Message Novel is that organized religion produces mean, bad, hypocritical people. Especially the Mormon religion. Now, we all know that I'm more than happy to join in a joyous fest to bash the Peculiar Socialities of Utah Mormons, but this book makes even me look like a right-wing conservative and the family on HBO's Big Love look like a completely adjusted, normal family. Pattyn's father is a raging alcoholic who regularly beats his wife (and when she's pregnant with his first son, his daughters) to a pulp on the weekends. He willingly went off to Vietnam because he enjoys killing. He's informed his daughter that if her husband wants her to know how to drive, then he's going to have to teach her. The bishop blames the mother and daughters for any of the abuse heaped on them. I'm not naive; I realize that there are creeps like this in, well, every church. However, Hopkins goes out of her way to demonstrate that all religious people are mean-spirited, conniving, abusive imps and that only non-religious folk are truly charitable and kind and deserving of love. It got really old after a short time.

You would think that if I had to put up with this nonsense at least the poetry would have been enjoyable. Nope. It sucked, to be honest. There was no reason to tell this story in verse except that perhaps the author was incapable of actually developing the story's scenes with prose. Sure, there were a few poems here and there that were spot on in their use of form and imagery to justify their existence, but not enough to actually validate the book's existence as a whole.

In the end, don't go near this book. If you do, you'll discover, like me, that the title actually refers to the feeling you'll have after shilling out your hard-earned pennies on this book.

Me Talk Pretty One Day

Me Talk Pretty One Day
by David Sedaris
Essay. 272 pp.
Back Bay. 2000.

I like personal essays. Especially when they're written by someone who knows how to write.

This book came into my life as a Christmas gift after Dec and I went to see The Santaland Diaries, which I found to be a very enjoyable production. Mostly, I enjoy Sedaris's wit. He also reminds me of New York, even though most of the essays are about his time spent living in France.

Anyway, I don't think there's much to say here except that I like Sedaris. And he's quite quotable. Here's just one more (because it reminds me of my mission in Portugal):

Nothing is more disgusting than a glass of milk, especially French milk, which comes in a box and can sit unrefrigerated for five months, at which point it simply turns into cheese and is moved to a different section of the grocery store. (250)

I Am the Messenger

I Am the Messenger
by Markus Zusak
YA fiction. 357 pp.
Knopf. 2005.

Pat Castelli aptly summarizes this book as follows:

This is an exciting adventure/mystery story about a young man, Ed, who is going nowhere until presented with a series of challenges that help make the world a better place. The foremost question in Ed's mind is about who is giving the orders, someone who has godlike knowledge. The resolution of that mystery felt like a cheat to me, and thus was a disappointing ending to a really good book. Cautions: very foul language, though much of it is Australian, sexuality (mostly wishful thinking) and violence that includes rape.

By and large, I'm going to have to agree with her sentiment.

One of the things I find interesting about the Printz award is how open it seems to be. For example, the Newbery and Caldecott must each go to American authors. The Printz hasn't been limited thus. Also, the books don't really need to be exactly YA per se. That was what I found most difficult about getting into this novel. I really don't think it's YA. I could point out specific identifying features that might lend to this (the protagonist is 20 and far removed from high school), but the difficulty with YA is that, when it comes down to it, there aren't hard and fast rules. Mostly, this just didn't feel YA. At the same time, it didn't feel adult. So I wasn't sure how to peg it.

Once I got over that, I did find it to be a largely enjoyable story. You really grow to truly love Ed as he faces the tasks. And the format (as in the chapter numbering) was also unique and enjoyable, helping add to the tension of the novel.

But like Pat, I didn't like the ending. It was somewhat of a copout. And I hated the last line. Hated, hated, hated it. Then again, I hate weak final words. There's a good chance that were I the editor, I would have cut the last three sentences. Of course, ending it there doesn't necessarily make sense, but it has more strength.

I do recommend this book, though I would caution you to watch for the profanity, because it's endless and doesn't really contribute anything to the plot or characterization.

Playing the Field

Playing the Field
by Phil Bildner
YA fiction. 181 pp.
Simon & Schuster. 2006.

From the flap copy:

All Darcy wants is to play on the baseball team, to hear her name announced, "Now batting, Darcy Miller," to play the field. Is that so much to ask? Unfortunately, it might be. In a few short months, Darcy Miller goes from typical senior in high school to candidate for Jerry Springer. Her mom has started dating Darcy's principal, the very principal whose son Darcy happened to have started a huge flirt-fest with, now brought to a screeching halt. When she decides to let her mom go to bat (so to speak) for her to play on the baseball team, Darcy thinks things are starting to look up. After all, Principal Basset caves and decides to let her play. But he has two conditions that shake up her entire game: She must pretend to be a lesbian (WHAT?) and she must join the GSA, the Gay-Straight Alliance (WHAT? WHAT?), the president of which happens to be her best friend--make that her ex-best friend, Josh. Okay, Darcy's senior year might seem complicated at first. It's not. It's insurmountably, unforgettably, and--most of the time--hilariously complicated.

This is a quick read. Seriously. I think I knocked it out in a couple of hours. This is, I think, due to a very good narrative voice. Pacing is good.

However, there is a lot to be desired with this book. I really like the premise, which is why I picked up the book in the first place. But I think it's fairly obvious that this is the author's first novel. He generally skips over all the tension that should actually develop the plot. So this then is not a gay book, nor is it a sport book. (Though the character rambles on and on and on about how to play baseball ala an instruction manual.) And the penultimate scene in the novel is essentially a Lesson on the Importance of GSAs. (Which I'm not going to refute either.)

I just walked away at the end of the book rather frustrated that what could have been a great plot with lots of tension and drama and resolution and what not was ultimately not realized. The characters in the book are great and bound to create sparks when placed together, but the author doesn't let them do that.

So I have to give this book a big Eh. I will, however, read the author's next novel because I do like his writing style. I'm just hoping that next time he'll allow for tension in the plot.

Criss Cross

Criss Cross
by Lynne Rae Perkins
MG fiction. 337 pp.
Greenwillow. 2005.

One of my little oddities is my inability to not finish a book. I know that many people don't understand this little obsession, Tolkien Boy not being the first. A number of years ago, I took a children's lit class wherein we had to do a buttload of reading. I started reading Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes because I thought it would be good to read all the Newbery books. But I utterly despised the book. My professor, baffled, asked me why I would finish reading such a horrendous book considering how many wonderful books there were out there. I told him that I just have to finish a book if I begin reading it.

Anyway, the moral of this little story should indicate how I feel about Criss Cross. Criss Cross won this year's Newbery award, and this year's Newbery committee won this year's WTF award. You could say it's a fair trade, though generations of kids will be cursed with this book on their recommended reading lists. I feel for them.

I should say that I had been biased going into this book--Pat Castelli discussed this book as part of her presentation at UVSC. Her handout summarizes the book as follows:

The "story" emerges in the 2006 Newbery Award in slice-of-life chapters from various points of view, thus it may be difficult to engage an average young reader. While 14-year-old Debbie is the main character, four of her friends are almost as important, three boys and a girl, Patty. The cover art shows a girl with her back turned and her fingers crossed behind her back with the statement, "She wished something would happen." Many young readers [and I might add older readers] may share her wish regarding the book. That said, there are charming scenes in this book and some that are absurd.

On one of the listservs I'm on, one reader came to the defense of the book by noting that

the Newbery is awarded to the book the committee deems the "most distinguished contribution to children's literature" in any given year. It is not given to "the book kids will love the most" or to "the most marketable book" or to "the most readable book" or even to "the *best* book."

Taking all of this into consideration, I still think the committee was smoking a whole lot o' pot when it chose this book. I'm all for literary and experimental writing, but you still have to give me a friggin' storyline to follow. Sheesh. And maybe I can forego an actual storyline if you give me a character to actually care about through the little slices of life. This book didn't do that; by the end of the book, I couldn't even really tell you who any of the characters were. Another great gripe I have of this book is the author's complete inability to maintain point of view. POV shifts were haphazard and odd.

Really, in the end, this book very much should not have won the Newbery. Avoid it like the plague. Read Shannon Hale's Princess Academy instead.

The Last Chance Texaco

The Last Chance Texaco
by Brent Hartinger
YA fiction. 225 pp.
HarperTempest. 2004.

As mentioned previously, I love me some Brent Hartinger. So it surprised me when Fobby pointed out that there is one that I haven't read. Egads! So I proceeded directly to the Devil's Den and ordered a copy. In hardcover. Because that's how I read my Hartinger.

The Last Chance Texaco is a novel about kids in a group home named Kindle House, nicknamed Last Chance Texaco. This is the last stop for troubled kids in The System before they get sent off to juvenile detention at Rabbit Island, a.k.a. Eat-Their-Young Island.

The story itself follows Lucy. Her cynicism is palpable. She's been in the system long enough to become jaded and fully embittered. This leads her to mistrust the counselors and despise the house therapist. And she lashes out at the privileged in her high school.

However, this book is touching because it shows Lucy grow as she realizes everyone is not out to get her. True, some people are, but many aren't. She learns that there are people she can trust and that she can open her heart to let others in. And I think that message of hope makes the book worth it.

Of Hartinger's titles, I think this one is likely his weakest. The mystery itself had too many red herrings and not enough clues, making the criminal a complete surprise. I felt the ending wrapped up far too quickly and rushed, which is saying something considering that I like my denouement snappy.

Still. Read The Last Chance Texaco and Hartinger's other titles. It's good reading.

Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska
by John Green
YA fiction. 221 pp.
Dutton. 2005.

From the flap copy:

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words--and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Looking for Alaska is the recipient of this year's Printz award. I don't know if I would necessarily say it's the best in young adult fiction that I've seen this year, but it is good. The characters are fascinating in their eccentricities. The layout of the book is slightly unusual (chapters are titled along the lines of "one hundred nine days before" and "twenty-seven days after"), which was a compelling way to create forward momentum and tension in the first part of the book. I liked how the theme was woven into the entirety of the novel, and it didn't feel trite or contrived.

There were some elements of the plot that I don't feel were adequately resolved and some bits that were left to hang. But overall, it was a good book that I enjoyed reading.

Now, that said, many people will not enjoy reading this book. One of the editors at Dutton presented at UVSC's recent Forum on Children & Literature. A member of the audience raised her concern that she just couldn't recommend the book because of its content. I enjoyed the look on his face when he essentially poo-pooed her comment. As he said, this book deals with some heavy themes about identity and relationships and what not. I realize her concern is that the kids in the book smoke and drink. I think the book neither condemns nor condones such behavior, and maybe that's what she took issue with.

And, yes, there is some exploration of sexuality in the book. In one of the sessions at the conference, Pat Castelli recommended this as one of her favorite books of the year, commenting that "strong language, sexuality, under-age drinking, etc., will make this book controversial, but the characters are vibrant and the lessons learned by those left behind are the hardest kind. The book will leave the reader thinking about many things long after the last word is read." She went on to mention that there is an oral sex scene in the novel but that it was funny. The audience tittered, gasps of horror escaping their pursed lips. But the scene is funny. (And it begins on page 126 for those interested.)

So I enjoyed this book. I do recommend it, but just read it forewarned.

Oh, and check out the author's site. As Coworker mentioned, he seems cool enough to want to set up with your friends.

Inexcusable

Inexcusable
by Chris Lynch
YA fiction. 165 pp.
Atheneum. 2005.

I read this book at the suggestion of a very good friend. I don't remember why he recommended it, but I do remember thinking that the premise was interesting enough that I would give it a go, even if I have never been a fan of Lynch's writing.

Oh. Be forewarned that I'm going to spoil the plot.

From the flap copy:

Keir Sarafian may not know much, but he knows himself. And the one thing he knows about himself is that he is a good guy. A guy who's a devoted son and brother, a loyal friend, and a reliable teammate. And maybe most important of all, a guy who understands that when a girl says no, she means it. But that is not what Gigi Boudakian, childhood friend and Keir's lifelong love, says he is. What Gigi says he is seems impossible to Keir. . . . It is something inexcusable--the worst thing he can imagine, the very opposite of everything he wants to be.

As Keir recalls the events leading up to his fateful night with Gigi, he realizes that the way things look are definitely not the way they really are--and that it may be all too easy for a good guy to do something terribly wrong.

I thought this would be an interesting book in that you just don't get books told from the perspective of a date rapist, especially as he comes to a realization of what he has done and the serious impact of his action. Now, I'm not saying we need to feel extremely sympathetic toward this character--he is a rapist after all--but there needs to be some element of sympathy that the reader is supposed to feel for this character so that the reader actually wants to read the book and yearn for the character's redemption.

Keir is not that character. I hated him from the get-go. He's arrogant and a brute. He drinks far too much for a senior in high school, which his father does with him and lets him do. (In fact, which he does at a restaurant, and I can't quite figure out why the servers are giving him alcohol, but that's just me.) He is cold and indifferent. At one point in the novel, he significantly injures an opponent on the football field. He feels nothing for this because it was a by-the-book perfect hit that, after a week-long investigation, is determined to be an accident. But Keir feels no remorse. He hazes members of the soccer team. He vandalizes the town. He is not a good guy.

Keir's personality and character are such that I found myself unable to feel anything but contempt for him. So, because he's an unredeemable ape, I found myself unable to accept the claim that he was a good guy who would never rape his date. Unfortunately, the driving force of the novel requires you to believe this.

If this were my novel, I would have had a protagonist who was actually a good guy. If we are to see that even good guys are capable of doing terrible things, our character has to be a good guy. Then we can actually get into a discussion about the devastating effects of rape. This book doesn't do that.

However, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is just the sort of phenomenal novel that deals with the aftermath of rape (told through the perspective of the victim).

Grand & Humble

Grand & Humble
by Brent Hartinger
YA fiction. 212 pp.
HarperTempest. 2006.

I will just state at the beginning that I am a big Hartinger fan. I really liked Geography Club and The Order of the Poison Oak, and I'm sure I'll like The Last Chance Texaco when the copy I ordered from the Devil's Den last weekend arrives.

Grand & Humble is different from the two previous books I've read. Alternating chapters tell the stories of Harlan and Manny. From the flap copy:

Harlan's a popular kid and Manny's a geek.

But something strange is happening to both of them. Harlan is slowly losing his grip because he's plagued by panic attacks he can't control. And Manny has started having nerve-racking nightmares that leave him exhausted and terrified.

In this complex and original novel, popular author Brent Hartinger takes us on an intense psychological journey as Harlan and Manny struggle with a fear they can't name. It's a journey that eventually leads downtown, where a secret lies at the intersection of Grand and Humble.

As a general rule, one of the reasons I love Hartinger is because he gives an authentic voice to his characters. They get to be complex characters who are trying to make sense of the world around them. This book takes that up a notch. Both characters are intriguing, and as a reader, you know that they are somehow connected, though you're not quite sure how. The twists and turns were unexpected. And just when you think you have it solved, Hartinger throws another curve ball at you.

One of the things I especially enjoyed about this book was that, days later, I was still thinking about it and the implications it brings up. To me, that's a good book.

Guys Write for Guys Read

Guys Write for Guys Read
edited by Jon Scieszka
YA. 272 pp.
Viking. 2005.

GWFGR was a rather painful read. Let me just get that out in the open. The premise is that this is a "rich collection of stories, mini-memoirs, advice, poems, comic, and drawings. . . . Here is an irresistibly readable book, filled with defining guy moments--funny, sad, triumphant, or humiliating. Who says guys don't read? They will, if they can read the writers they love!" Now, call my a cynic, but even though I love the premise behind the book, I find the book itself to be terribly flawed.

First, guys will read stuff gals write. Second, guys generally aren't so much into the memoir stuff. Third, guys do have an attention span that lasts beyond two, sometimes three, pages.

Now, I've read most of the studies about boys and perceived literacy. True, they have different tastes in their reading than girls typically do. They lean toward nonfiction and humor. They are more concerned with action than with character, generally more readily pointing out plot implausibilities than girls. And they do prefer to read something shorter than longer. (Although that causes me to wonder about the fascination with Science Fiction and Fantasy, which are notoriously long.)

In short, I don't think this book does anything significant to actually address boys' interests. Some of the stories and vignettes are good, but there's just not much to grab onto.

13

13: Thirteen Stories That Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen
edited by James Howe
YA fiction. 280 pp.
Atheneum. 2003.

Thirteen, as indicated by the subtitle, is a collection of stories about being thirteen. By and large, it's a rather good collection. It has contributions from Bruce Coville, Meg Cabot, Alex Sanchez, Rachel Vail, James Howe, Lori Aurelia Williams, Stephen Roos, Maureen Ryan Griffin, Ellen Wittlinger, Todd Strasser, Ron Koertge, Carolyn Mackler, and Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin.

I realize the premise is that you should experience a bit of what it's like to be thirteen. Mostly, I experienced the realization that some authors should not write short stories and some should not write extended fiction.

For example, the book ended with "Tina the Teen Fairy" by Martin and Godwin. I like the premise for the story, but it really didn't work. I don't know who or what to blame, but I know that I loved Martin's A Corner of the Universe. She is capable of building amazing characters, but that didn't happen here.

On the other end of the stick is "Jeremy Goldblatt Is So Not Moses" by Howe. I'm not a fan of his extended fiction, even if it has a great premise, but his short stories are delightful and powerful, and he's a brilliant editor in pulling together various authors. (I highly recommend The Color of Absence.)

In the end, this is a good compilation of stories that are worth reading. Unlike the next book I'm going to post.

Marly's Ghost

Marly's Ghost
by David Levithan
YA fiction. 167 pp.
Dial. 2006.

Marly's Ghost is a Valentine's story based on Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Actually, it's more than just a retelling. It is what Levithan refers to as a remix:

This is very much a remix novel. While I've endeavored to create my own music, I've also sampled greatly from the story's original source. . . .

I decided to reread Dickens's original. I hadn't read it since ninth grade or so, and I quickly realized that I'd let all of the other versions (from Scrooged to Scrooge McDuck) block out what Dickens really wrote. . . .

For the actual writing, I sat with a copy of A Christmas Carol on my lap and went through it paragraph by paragraph, line by line, "translating" the original story into my new story, taking the original tune and turning it into a remix. Some lines stayed verbatim. Others twisted and turned into new meanings. Some of the scenes in the original novel were cut, but most of them stayed in some way.

Once I turned the last page of A Christmas Carol and wrote the last line of my first draft, I put the original away. The more I revised and remixed, the more the story and music became my own. But Dickens is still there underneath every word--sometimes on the surface, sometimes deep below.

The book is good. Quite good. As a reader, you have the advantage of knowing the basic premise for the story, so you're reading to discover how Levithan remixes it. You are greeted with those familiar lines--"Marly was dead, to begin with." Like Dickens, Levithan draws you into Ben's misery and lost humanity. In this novel, Ben's girlfriend, Marly, died of cancer. Following her loss, he has closed his heart to everyone, even to his best friend, Fred, who continues to do everything he can to reach out to Ben.

I love the language of the book. I credit this to Levithan as I'm not a huge fan of Dickens's writing, in general. But I love Levithan's writing, so I may be biased.

In all, I would have to say this is my favorite retelling of A Christmas Carol. And it's a quick read. All good things.

Totally Joe

Totally Joe
by James Howe
MG fiction. 189 pp.
Atheneum. 2005.

In this follow-up novel to The Misfits (which apparently inspired No Name-Calling Week--coming up January 23-27), we get to become more acquainted with Joe Bunch. His English teacher, Mr. Daly, has assigned his students to write their alphabiographies--the story of their lives from A to Z.

This isn't an action book; it's a character book. Joe, fortunately, has a strong voice, though I feel it may be a bit too strong for a seventh grader. But the format is engaging, and it quickly pulls you into his life and personality. This book may be groundbreaking in that it's likely the first middle-grade (assuming standard protagonist/reader age difference) novel with an openly gay protagonist. In some regards, this is a good thing in that it helps expose kids to diversity, to other kids who are different (or perhaps the same). But the book also becomes fairly weak in that it seems to have sacrificed plot because it wants to be a didactic book similar to the Rainbow series by Sanchez. So that's a drawback.

The one thing I will give this book that I really liked is the concept of the alphabiography. Which is also why I'm blogging about this book now. I have decided that, in order to welcome in the new year, I'm going to blog my own alphabiography. I've been putting together alphalists. We'll see what happens. It'll probably be boring. Then again, you may find out interesting things about me. Not that you care. But I'm egotistical enough to think you do.

Oh. And I promised to drop Th. some sort of hint about where I work because Master Fob says he's been disappointed that I haven't mentioned anything of late . . . Hmm . . . I don't know what to say. So I guess I won't. Today anyway.